Calling All Sparkies Out There

Oldyam · Jan 10, 2018

Just to query your math a little, without any losses 218W = 2 x 100w lamps & 18w for a fluorescent tube ?

18w may be the tube stated wattage but there is a reason flourescents flash at start up the draw at that point is quite high compared to the running current, and how much does the whole unit draw ? not just the tube rating ? you may find youre a lot closer to the limits than you think, and youre assuming no-one else will add anything to their system too !

Good luck

StrippleMont · Jan 10, 2018

GaleForceEight said: ↑

No, but to be fair, with heat lamps in proximity to straw the primary fire risk considerations weren’t the electrics. That said, the power draw even for both pens wouldn’t have troubled the capacity of a 6A ring even if it had been!

I did that before replying to the original sugggestion. The lamps I was looking at are 100w - adding two of them would bring the total draw for my garage to 218w - less than 1A total draw constant current - even if every garage in the block did the same it would still only reach approx 4.5A total draw; certainly not 6A let alone the safety margins designed into the wiring (we used to test things to 50% overcapacity, I’d have to check if wiring design is done the same way)

If something did go wrong the breaker would trip well in advance of any wiring being endangered.

It wouldn’t be anything I solely did that would trip the breaker. Ideally I’d like to put a 4amp breaker on the feed to my garage for my own peace of mind anyway.

That said, I had a chat this morning with the developer who built the garage blocks (along with the houses around it) and next time his electrician is on site he’s going to let me know so I can chat through the options, one of which will be putting a ring from the main RCD unit to my garage.

The reason for asking for opinions before moving forward is because I try not to rely on luck. (It helps avoid visitations from the fuck-up fairy!)
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Been in the industry 40 odd years, so just giving my opinion on the pitfalls of someone dabbling in a field they are clearly unsure of!
The original post was full of what ifs, so clearly this is the case. Tapping into a lighting ring for 800w of power is clearly not thought through!
Electrical accidents don't just happen, they are caused by bad practice.

Best practice here is a dedicated armoured feed to your premise, suitably protected by RCB or RCBO. Size of cable determined by length of run, and end user requirements. Isolation of said feed clearly marked for the emergency services to kill if need be!

TBH putting a heat source in a confined space with flammable liquids (2 stroke mix) unattended for long periods of time, is recipe for disaster waiting to happen. Heat, Fuel, Oxygen...... BOOM!

I will refrain from any future advice as you clearly have thought about all the risks involved in this.

Be lucky!

GaleForceEight · Jan 10, 2018

Dozers Dad said: ↑

Morning lads,

Can I make a suggestion incase you fall out about solving this?

This is the way I see it.... GF8 asked a question & wanted "expert" advice. Stripplemont & Oldyam offered said advice.
GF8 doesn't appear to agree with all of the advice offered?
I'd now let GF8 ask the site developers sparky & see what he/she has to say?
I have no doubt the advice will be similar. However he may accept it more readily from him/her?

When all said & done. GF8 is only trying to find a heat source to keep his bikes cozy during winter.
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I’m certainly not here to fall out with anyone, and I’ve read all the replies with serious consideration - if I’ve questioned anything it isn’t from lack of appreciation, it might be that I needed clarification or had already considered it and the effects on the installation - perhaps voicing my thoughts was the wrong way to go but I have tried to explain (rightly or wrongly) how I came to the conclusions I’d reached.

Before the Bantam gets put away I tend to rinse the tank with unmixed fuel and vent it. The carb is removed and cleaned with unmixed fuel so it doesn’t get gunged up. Probably overkill, but there is little to no fire risk from the bike!

I had considered the high current draw from flashing the flo tube when it is started. There is sufficient wriggle room left over to allow this.

Thanks to the input from you guys I’ve discarded the notion of putting in the heater in the manner of my initial idea (which of course was the purpose of this thread - to throw my thoughts out into the open and get advice from people with more expertise than myself in home electrics than I have!)

To have people like StrippleMont and Oldyam giving me advice has been invaluable help and taken me in a better direction than I would have found alone, and everyone has my thanks for their input!!!